PM Says Machete-Wielding Mother’s Actions Inexcusable, Feels She Needs Help And Support

Prime Minister Andrew Holness says the viral social media video of a St Thomas woman beating her daughter with a machete should serve as a watershed moment for all Jamaicans.

The video, which was captured last year and made public earlier this week, has drawn widespread condemnation.

Holness, in his first public comments on the video, says he understands the frustrations facing single parents, especially when their child enters puberty, but described the woman’s actions as unacceptable.

He says during his tenure as Education Minister he had to deal with the negative sides of corporal punishment.

The Prime Minister says while he does not excuse the actions of the woman seen in the video, he is not condemning her.

He says the woman needs help and support so that she can change and become a spokesperson for good parenting.